Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0065
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[Page 65]
61.
Octr. 1769. Off Cape Runnaway
this we had now our work to begin over again & heartily joind in wishing that it might be attended with less bloodshed than our late unfortunate Rencounters
after a little time one of the canoes came almost close to the ship & soon after we saw an immense large canoe coming from the shore crowded full of People all armd with long lances they came near & receivd signals from the boat that was near us we Judgd there could not be less than 60 people in her 16 padlers of a side besides some who did not paddle & a long row of people in the middle from stem to stern crowded as close as possible on a signal from the small canoe the pulld briskily up towards the ship as if to attack it was judgd right to let them see what we could do least should they come to extremities we might be obligd to fire at them in which case numbers must be killd out of such a croud a gun loaded with grape was therefore fird ahead of them they stopd padling but did not retreat a round shot was then fird over them they saw it fall & immediately took to their paddles rowing ashore with more haste than perhaps I ever saw men without so much as stopping to breathe till they got out of sight the countrey from whence they came & indeed all round about